Benibara & BBQ
by Shikra-Chan
Summary: They've been teammates for years. Their next mission may bring to light some...other feelings. ChoujixIno. Maybe more pairings. Rated T for language and violence, but rating may change due to creative inspiration
1. Introductions and a Mission

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I invented Naruto. No seriously, it was me. The whole Japanese pen-name was invented to fool you.

Disclaimer: If you believed the message above, you work on an entirely new level of stupid.

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I was browsing through fanfics and I noticed: Only 4 pages of Choji and Ino? They don't get enough love. Even individually. Choji is just that fat guy, and Ino is just that angry fan-girl. There is more to them than that (probably)! And if they are together, it's just as a cameo role in another fanfic. Or even worse: It's Ino-Shika. Now, stop me if you've heard this rant before, but I'm a diehard Shika-Temari fan. Oh, I guess the rant wasn't long after all. I'm not even going to talk about all them fandom impossible pairings……

Anyway: Here is a Choji-Ino fanfic. squee

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(P.S: High-fives all around to all the peoples who have written Choji-Ino fanfics)

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Konoha in the spring. The air is bursting with the scent of flowers, BBQ, and… could it be? Is that the allusive hint of love?

"See-ya Ino!" yelled a pink-haired girl over her shoulder, "Don't forget, we have a large order of chrysanthemums that need to be delivered tomorrow."

Ino didn't look up from the black vase she was arranging flowers in, shifting a waxy leaf as she replied "Yeah I know. See you tomorrow, don't skip out on me like last time."

The girl, who had just reached the flower shop door, snapped her head around, causing her short pink hair to fall into her eyes, giving her a dangerous look. She smiled sweetly which somehow managed to make her seem more menacing.

"Shows what you know Ino-Pig, I was on a mission."

The blonde bristled at the offence, abandoning the vase to engage in a good barter of insults. "Of course a considerate person would have told her friend if she wasn't going to help deliver 3000 white roses to a wedding ceremony, Sakura. But you wouldn't know about anything like courtesy. Your huge forehead would probably explode if you tried to think about it."

Sakura moved closer to Ino until their noses were almost touching. Close distance shouting is always more fun. "You're a friggin ninja. Don't tell me you can't handle delivering a few flowers"

"You should be saying that to yourself, Billboard-Brow. You're the one that skipped out. Afraid of a few thorns?" Ino replied with enthusiasm.

"Ino-Pig!"

"Forehead-girl!"

Watching the two girls fight instantly brings to mind a game of ping pong. Albeit one with a lot more profanity than is traditionally expected.

Both girls stood, quivering nose to nose with anger, then- when all the usual insults had been used up- the door to the flower shop opened and in bounded a hyperactive black and orange blur.

Sakura's fist thumped the intruders head.

"Naruto, we were in the middle of something. Don't just barge in like that, besides the shops shut."

Naruto rubbed his sore head, the huge grin which was normally on his face, replaced with a grimace. "Sakura, the sign still says open, besides Granny Tsunade sent me."

At the mention of the 5th Hokage, the girls stopped scowling at each other to pay attention to Naruto.

"What does she say?" questioned Sakura, ignoring the part about the sign she hadn't got around to changing.

Naruto reverted back to his usual expression, "Granny Tsunade wants Ino in her office first thing tomorrow morning for a mission brief. She also wanted to know if you could bring her some sake when you arrive for your training. Good thing you haven't left yet or I'd be running all over the village relaying messages instead of catching up on some training myself."

"She was drinking sake when I left…. I thought Shizune was implementing an alcohol restriction."

"You mean hiding sake bottles? She was, but Granny Tsunade is having a bad day," Naruto pointed to a second punch mark on his head, "So she forced Shizune to dig them all out again."

The three ninjas stood together in knowing silence.

"Anyway," said Sakura interrupting the moment, "This means that you're the one skipping out this time Ino."

"Yeah yeah, whatever," replied Ino dismissively.

An outsider might be fooled into thinking that the girls were enemies however despite appearances they were both close friends.

--

Shikamaru stopped outside the BBQ restaurant. He looked up at the pale blue sky and sighed. So troublesome….. I was hoping to sleep in…. Pushing the door open resignedly he entered the restaurant. Early in the morning, there were only a few customers- BBQ not normally being a breakfast kinda meal.

Shikamaru sidled into a booth, lounging lazily with one arm slung over the back of the seat and his head against the window. His eyes tracked the clouds outside for a while before resting on the person seated on the opposite side of the table who was intently watching pieces of meat on the grill at the centre of the table.

" 'morning Choji."

Choji grunted a response as he flipped the pieces of meat over.

Choji was….. large. Whether it was because he inherited big bones like he often claimed, or because the Akimichi clan had a tendency to over eat (which is far more likely), it seemed to run in the family.

The two enjoyed the comfortable stillness that comes with years of friendship. In Shikamaru's opinion talking only gets in the way. Shikamaru stretched idly as Choji began to eat. He knew Choji would share if asked nicely, but there was something about his devotion to his food that most people didn't want to interrupt. Besides, Choji would probably be stingy about how much exactly he shared… especially after he just cooked them.

"Guess we'd better head off to receive our mission details." said Shikamaru as he stood up, being careful not to unbalance the stacks of used meat trays off the end of the table.

Choji looked regretfully at the grill, but having eaten all the food and spent all his money, nodded at his team mate. After this mission he'd have plenty of time and money for more BBQ.

Ino was already in the Hokage's office by the time Choji and Shikamaru arrived. The three together made up Team 10. They'd been together since the Academy, four years ago. The absence of Asuma, the leader of Team 10 stood out in each of their minds. He had been killed two years previously by a member of Akatsuki, and although Shikamaru avenged his death, it still hurt whenever they remembered he was gone.

Tsunade's voice broke the three out of their grim reverie.

"This is a fairly simple mission. Team 10 is to make a delivery to the Sand Village."

Tsunade reached under her desk and placed two scrolls on her desk.

Shikamaru frowned in thought.

"These scrolls must be important if you are sending us. This type of mission is normally allocated to low ranking ninjas. Is there anyone after these scrolls we should know about?"

Tsunade smiled. "They _are_ important. They contain specialised medical knowledge known only in our village. Through our alliance with the Village of Sand, it has been deemed beneficial for both parties to exchange some classified data. To answer your question, I do not believe that there are any particular people after the scrolls, mainly because the exchange has been kept under tight wrap. However, one can never be too careful, especially with valuable items like these. Stay on your guard. Deliver them directly to the Kazekage, and only the Kazekage. He is expecting your arrival. You leave immediately."

Team 10 bowed in respectful compliance, and left the Hokage's office.

So that's the first chapter done! Hope it was enjoyable... don't worry, the pace will pick up in the next few chapters what with the mission and all...

Should be posting the next chapter...er...soonish...


	2. Rust

Disclaimer: It's obvious I didn't invent Naruto. I'm not going to repeat this every chapter. Sorry if you are a disclaimer fan.

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Hiya! Chapter 2 took a while, sorry for the wait! You might notice I spell Chouji's name "Choji" in some places. My spellchecker automatically replaced it (sporadically for some reason), and everytime I try and change it- it refuses to co-operate. Ah well, it's just a minor detail.

attaches fireworks to ancient computer...accidently drops match

Btw: For those who were wondering, Benibara means red rose. If we are to use the Japanese art of Hanakotoba, benibara means "love". A bit pointlessly elaborate perhaps- but more on Hanakotoba later. Lets just get on with the story.

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Speeding through the trees, Team 10 travelled with little conversation

Shikamaru was hoping to get the mission over and done with so that he could return to his busy schedule of doing nothing.

Chouji was hoping to get the mission over and done with so that he could return to his busy schedule of eating.

Ino was hoping to get the mission over and done with so that she could return to her busy schedule of bickering with Sakura and shopping (also with Sakura. Go figure).

Nonetheless they refused to let their guards down…. even though it was an incredibly boring mission…… and there were heaps of discounts at the markets back in Konoha….and it was the perfect day for cloud watching.  
Okay. So they were a little distracted. But as high class ninjas, they remained professional about it.

"Let's stop for lunch," said Chouji, eyeing a small village up ahead.

"Agreed," replied Ino, not wanting to bring the subject up herself and risk giving the impression that she actually felt hungry.

Shikamaru sighed. "Well I suppose we have time."

……………………………………………………………….

Ino picked delicately at her food, halfway through her miso soup by the time Choji had already polished off three bowls and what probably added up to half a cow. Choji and Ino took about the same time to eat, just for different reasons. Shikamaru tapped his fingers on the table impatiently.

"What?" asked Choji and Ino at the same time, bits of food falling from Chouji's mouth.

"Ew, Choji! At least finish eating before talking! Didn't your mother teach you _anything_?" Ino reprimanded, disgusted.

Choji swallowed, his face thoughtful. "She taught me how to cook."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Of course."

Shikamaru cleared his throat, "Lunch break over. As troublesome as it is, we still need to deliver the scrolls before tomorrow afternoon."

Ino stood up, abandoning the soup.

"Are you going to finish that?" asked Choji.

"You have it, I'm not hungry."

Choji quickly drank the soup.

_She never eats. I don't know how she's survived as long as she has on such a limited diet. Look at how skinny she is. I bet she freezes in winter._ Chouji shook his head wearily. _I don't understand girls._

"Come on Choji!" yelled Ino, halfway out the restaurant door.

………………………………………………………………………………………...

The sun was high in the sky, and would have been overpowering if it weren't for the occasional cloud coverage, and the shelter of the trees. Small blue flowers were growing in increasing frequency at the bottom of some of these trees, where the dark green moss grew the thickest. Ino smiled to herself. _Forget-me-nots. Such pretty little things, velvety to touch, and the sky blue of the petals contrasts so nicely with the emerald moss. _Ino found her self picking a handful, wrapping them in moss to keep them alive for longer. The Sand Village was notoriously dry, and Ino hoped they would survive the journey.

Ino could hear a munching noise over her shoulder.

"What do you have in your hand Ino?" asked Choji through a mouthful of crisps that mysteriously originated whenever he felt the slightest bit hungry.

"Forget-me-nots. They're growing all over the place."

"Oh. Ok," he said, vaguely surprised by the tender expression on her face.

Ino tossed her hair absently. Despite the fast pace the group was walking at, it was hard not to enjoy the day. Good weather and good friends. Shikamaru was occupied with his own thoughts, and Choji wasn't so bad really when you gave him a chance.

_munchmunchmunchcrunchmunchcrunchmunchmunchmunch _

Ino tucked the flowers carefully into her pack.

_munchmunchmunchcrunchmunchcrunchmunchmunchmunch _

The peacefulness was slightly less than before, however it remained serenely intact.

_munchmunchmunchcrunchmunchcrunchmunchmunchmunch _

"Choji."

_munchmunchmunchcrunchmunchcrunchmunchmunchmunch _

"_Choji_."

_munchmunchmunchcrunchmunchcrunchmunchmunchmunch _

"Choji. Will you STOP eating for FIVE minutes?"

_munchmunch- _"Ino. It's been an hour since lunch," came the disgruntled reply.

This happened almost every mission. She'd be walking along, and everything would be perfectly fine, and then one of those two would do _something_ to spoil the moment.

Ino sighed. _Everyone has their burdens they must carry. _A martyred expression plastered her face. She rather thought it suited her. After awhile with no-one noticing how self-sacrificing she was being, her face started to hurt so she dropped the expression.

Shikamaru was pulled out of his day dream. He felt someone's presence. It was only for a second, but he was sure of it. They were being followed. And whoever it was, they were taking pains to disguise their existence from Team 10. If whoever was following hadn't slipped up just then, it might have taken much longer to realise. Shikamaru cursed under his breath. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed before now. Despite Tsunade's warning not to drop their guards, that is exactly what they had done. An amateur move. Shikamaru internally kicked himself.

Choji and Ino picked up on Shikamaru's change in demeanour, and tensed themselves, looking out for anything unusual. They noticed the presence as well, just before it vanished. Without needing to say anything, the group understood the situation.

"What's the plan?" murmured Choji.

"Wait for them to show themselves. They are probably waiting for us to rest, otherwise they would have attacked already- if that was their intention. Stay alert. They've lost the element of surprise but that doesn't mean they're not dangerous-"

"-So we see what we can find out about them before they make a move. They were careless once, it's likely to happen again. Got it," interrupted Ino.

"Yeah, but we were careless as well, so that's not saying much." replied Shika.

Team 10 walked onwards, alert and prepared. They were now aware of hidden eyes watching their every move, and it was tempting to simply confront the unknown enemy rather than prolong the wait for the inevitable battle.

They stopped in a small clearing. It was open enough that the attackers would have to reveal themselves in a direct attack, yet was surrounded by enough forest that Team 10 could split up if the need arose and head into the confusion of the trees. Shikamaru guessed they would most likely be using close combat- the fact that they had been followed thus far without being attacked meant that the enemy would choose a direct confrontation. Probably.

Ino bent down, loosening the pack from her shoulder. She kept her balance evenly spread, ready to roll back onto her feet if the group was attacked.

A man stepped out from behind the bushes. Ino swung around, the pack firmly returned to her back, a kunai held firmly in front of her. Choji and Shikamaru had adopted similar stances, forming a half circle, in a classic defensive position.

The man smiled at them, hands raised diplomatically. He was slender, of medium height, with dark brown hair and eyes. His eyes had dark rings underneath, and his skin was pale and sickly. He might've been attractive if he didn't look so ill. No headband identified him as a ninja. That would have been reassuring if it wasn't for the katana at his side, and the kunai strapped across his chest.

"Now there, no need for hostile greetings! It's quite simple. Hand me the scrolls, and nobody needs to get hurt."

Ino narrowed her eyes. Like she hadn't heard _that_ before. Sheesh. Cliché much?

"I'm sure we don't know what you're talking about. Besides, even if we did have the scrolls you're talking about- why should we give them to you?"

The man smiled even wider. "Don't mess with me Shinobi of Konoha- you've got the medical scrolls I want-" he paused to cough. "Yeah- I'm willing to kill you to get them…… and by the looks you are giving me, you aren't giving them away free of charge."

The man drew out his katana- rust falling from it's surface- and swung it in front of him in an arc. His hand shook unsteadily for a second, then he was gone.

Choji turned around in time to stop the katana with his kunai- the corroded blade inches from his head. The man spun mid air kicking out with both legs towards Ino and Shika while the handle of the katana jabbed at the space Choji had been seconds before. Choji had managed to duck in time- swiping the man's legs as he fell back towards the ground. Ino and Shika had also managed to block the attacks- sliding back from the force of impact, causing lines of dirt in the grass.

None had had time to form any hand signs. This guy was fast. The man wobbled uncertainly on his feet- his hands shaking slightly. Taking advantage, Shika formed the signs for Shadow Bind. Shika's shadow grew longer and locked by the man's feet. Shika smiled. However his expression soon changed to irritation as the shadow came snaking back. "Shit."

Choji had also taken the opportunity to form his own set of seals. His hand expanded to a mammoth size- and swung, aiming the mans torso. The man recovered enough to leap towards the safety of the forest- but Choji managed to clip his legs- the force causing him to be flung against a tree. He slumped down in a heap, a trickle of blood running down his lip. Shika attempted Shadow Bind once more but to no affect. Ino stood above the slumped figure, one kunai against his throat and another at his stomach, her foot stamped on the hand that reached for his katana.

"Who are you?" she demanded tersely.

"Hisao Shindo. But that's neither here nor there," he replied quietly, squinting up at the blonde, attempting to block out the sun that glared behind her.

Suddenly he moved forwards to a sitting position, wincing as the kunai cut deep into him. Dark blood seeped through his loose white shirt. Taken aback, Ino adjusted her position, but Hisao kept moving closer until he was standing upright- the kunai imbedded firmly in him. Ino kicked him back against the tree, her kunai once again free. She stared at him in horror as he began coughing, blood trickling out of the gash on his throat. The murky blood began to clot in what looked like rust. As it spread it began to close the wound. Now that she was closer, Ino could see more rust like marks on Hisao's body. Hisao trembled weakly, then before Ino had time to prevent him, his hand darted to the fallen katana, slashing it in front of him. Ino staggered backwards, but not without her arm getting sliced by the foul blade.

"Ino!" shouted Chouji, his massive hand swinging forward once again to steady her.

Ino leaned heavily against it, and then straightened- her hand pressing against the wound. There was no blood- only rust from the sword. It crept along her skin, burning. Ino clamped her hand down harder, trying to heal it. The rust stopped moving, but remained on her arm. At least it wasn't burning anymore.

"I hate to hurt pretty girls, but you _did_ start it," smirked Hisao, panting heavily from exertion.

_Just who the hell is this guy?_ wondered Chouji furiously.


	3. Sass and Tears

Disclaimer: Huh. I bet you thought I'd put one in this time didn't you? No disclaimer for YOU! (Unless this counts as one……. Urgh- head hurts)

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Due to personal reasons I stopped writing (hence the long wait for Ch 3). Now, I'm back and my typing fingers are itching.

(P.S: I'd love to hear everyone's opinion on my action scenes. I've never written them before and was wondering how they came across…… actually I have never written a fan-fic before so any feedback at all is greatly appreciated.)

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_Is this guy for real? He has no strategy what-so-ever, he's just charging straight in. His technique is all over the place, and he looks like he's on his deathbed! I don't know how he can manage to hold that katana, let alone move at such a high speed._ Shikamaru's brain was busily trying to pin Hisao down. _Even more disturbing is that my shadow techniques can't grab a hold of him._

"This time I'm going to get serious. Ready for round 2?" asked Hisao, his weapon rose in challenge. Sweat was forming heavily on his brow.

Chouji narrowed his eyes at the man and readied himself.

Ino stepped away from Chouji's steadying hand and lifted her kunai in response. She rolled her eyes, "Ya. Just attack already."

Chouji grinned. He had a sudden image of Ino with one hand on her hip snapping her fingers, with the classic: "Whatever _biatch_."

Hisao sprung forwards again. The Konoha shinobi were starting to get used to his speed. The man swung his katana in a full circle, the dull blade glinting red in the sun as it hurtled spear-like towards Chouji. Expecting a head-on move like this, Chouji slid to one side and swung his fist into the earth. The ground shook, and as Hisao landed, he lost his footing.

"You're not very good at this are you?" he asked the ridiculous bundle on the ground.

"I _need_ those scrolls," the man replied angrily, desperation leaking into his voice.

He was a pitiful figure, slumped pathetically in far too baggy clothes, clutching tightly to a weapon that had no worth as scrap metal. And despite all his arrogant posturising he was obviously not in top form. Maybe he had some freakish abilities, but whatever made him so sick was slowing him down.

Hisao snarled. Ino snarled back mockingly. The corner of Chouji's mouth twitched, suppressing another grin.

Hisao's eyes rolled back into his head, and he fell into darkness.

"What do we do with him?" asked Chouji.

"What do you mean '_What do we do with him?_' He won't be going anywhere." Ino replied.

"From what we've seen, I doubt he'll be unconscious for long." Chouji said calmly.

Shikamaru nodded. He was way ahead of them as usual. Pulling a standard scroll from his pack, Shikamaru formed the seals that would temporarily bind Hisao until they could pass him on to the Sand Village for questioning. No doubt Gaara would be interested to learn of those seeking the classified information.

Having dealt with this threat, they decided to rest. Shikamaru disappeared into the trees to set up traps around the perimeter- they were now much more wary of ambush after the attack. Ino scratched absentmindedly at the rusting scar as she checked her weapons. Chouji sat beneath a tree next to Hisao's slumped body and watched Ino silently.

"What's up?" asked Ino, meeting his gaze.

"Your arm…. are you sure you're okay?" Chouji asked concerned.

She laughed softly, her voice ringing gently through the clearing.

"You worry too much Chouji. I'm fine. Tomorrow I bet there won't even be a mark there."

Chouji smiled, his cheeks turning a faint pink. "You're probably right."

Ino packed her weapons back, satisfied that all was in order. Her hands brushed against the flower she had picked earlier.

"Oh no!"

The little forget-me-not lay withered in her hand. It was a sad little broken thing.

"During the fight, it must have gotten crushed."

A small tear fell on the crushed petals.

Ino wiped furiously at her face, not wanting Chouji to see her cry.

But it was too late, Chouji was already by her side. Concern was written all over his face.

"Ino."

What a strange girl she was. A girl that could stand bravely by Shika and himself to face the most deadly of opponents and not flinch. A strong willed shinobi who would sacrifice her own life if it meant the safety of her teammates and village. Yet at the sight of this broken flower she cried like a small child.

"I-it's nothing. Just a plant. I must be tired from the fight, that's all."

Chouji raised his hand to brush away the remaining tears, but hesitated. What was he thinking? He stood up and looked away.

"I'll get you a new forget-me-not."

Ino raised her head slowly in astonishment, but Chouji was no longer there.

_Flowers…flowers….. how far back were they?_ Chouji thought to himself as he raced through the forest. The place where Ino picked them was a long way away, but Chouji was sure he had seen some closer by. Were these forget-me-nots? No… there were too big. Chouji had never really paid much attention to flowers before- but all of a sudden it seemed vitally important- and he cursed himself for never paying attention when Ino talked about them. He wasn't even sure what they looked like anymore. Just that they were small and blue. Or maybe purple? His head clouded with confusion. There! A small cluster growing over that mossy log!

A shrill cry shattered behind him. Birds flew from the trees and then there was silence.

And with a sinking dread, Chouji knew it was Ino.

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No matter how hard I try, can't write a long chapter! Ah well…. practise and all that….

Sorry for taking so long!!! I'll try better next time I promise!!!


	4. Realisation

Hiya! Since it took so long to add Ch 3, I thought I'd go ahead and give you Ch 4 as well!!! I think I'm getting used to writing fanfics now. Hopefully it is smoother reading. And hopefully I'll keep getting better!!! Ahhh... but what do you care? You just want the story allready don't you? Well here it is. Chapter Four.

_

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_

Chouji

. Ino smiled to herself, despite the tear stains on her cheeks. He was a dear friend, and despite his clumsy way of showing it, he was very sweet. She wanted to call out after him and tell him so, but the words wouldn't come. What warrior would want to be called sweet? Strong, skilful, powerful- these were words that seemed more appropriate to call her shinobi comrade. And so the words were left unsaid. Ino shook her head, her long fair hair falling back into place. _A dear friend._

In the corner of her eye she saw movement. Before she had time to grab a weapon from the pack by her feet- Hisao stepped on her hands. She cried out in shock. The sound pierced through the dense emerald of the trees. Then his knee drew up at frightening speed, knocking her unconscious.

Blurred green filtered through her waning vision mixing with her thoughts before she blacked out completely.

_Bastard. First he's up, then he's down. Wish he'd decide for once whether he is a weakling or worth fighting. For such a pathetic man he's impossible to get rid of. _

…………………………………………………………..

Shikamaru and Chouji ran towards the clearing, arriving too late.

Hisao was gone, Ino with him. Shikamaru patted his leg, thankful that the scrolls strapped there remained secure. But what was Hisao planning? And for how long would the scrolls be safe? Shikamaru moved his hands into his thinking position.

_Hisao is clearly an untrained idiot. Yet he has accomplished the kidnapping of an extremely well-trained ninja, remained unaffected by my Shadow Technique, broken out of a binding seal, and moves at an uncanny speed. So he is a dangerous untrained idiot._ This was not a reassuring thought, especially as he now had Ino in his sickly grasp. The obvious thing to do was to find out his weaknesses, the secrets to his strengths, and formulate a plan with the information. Shikamaru's eyes flickered to his friend.

Chouji stood there, hands clenching and unclenching into fists as he stared blankly at a wilted blue flower that lay drooping beneath Ino's upturned pack. The three of them had faced insurmountable odds, yet never had one of them been forcefully taken away. Driven back maybe, but never so far out of site that they couldn't be aided. But even that couldn't account for the gnaw he felt inside. The tears she had shed over the flower kept replaying in his head. Ino always carried herself like she was capable of anything. A strong, beautiful, shinobi that couldn't be beaten. Yet he had seen for himself the fragility that lay beneath her exterior. How she worried about how she looked, dreading that she might lose to her rival Sakura, knowing that Sasuke would never love her, and that even something as pure and lovely as a flower could be destroyed in one careless move. Although he had known these things, spending so much time with her and Shika, it only occurred to him now that she was a girl that needed defending. Not against any battle- because it was there that she shone the brightest- but against all the dark that the world let leak into her surprisingly vulnerable heart. Where was she at that moment? No doubt she could handle her self well whatever the situation, but the simple fact that he didn't know what was happening to her, that he didn't know what she was thinking or feeling as she was held captive all alone, that he wasn't there to fight by her side or shout out encouragement- it burnt his heart. And the burning spread throughout his consciousness, telling him to hunt down this man who would dare take Ino away.

Shikamaru rested his hand carefully on Chouji's shoulder.

"Chouji-"

Chouji shrugged him away, and turned to face his friend.

"Tell me the plan."

…………………………………………………………

Ino awoke in a dank dimly lit room. The floorboards were rotting, and in places there were no floorboards, only black earth from which dry spindly weeds were scattered- but these weeds had no life in them. The greedy life-loving spark was long gone and even the seeds were dried husks, granting no opportunity of anything green growing in this stale place. The walls were earthen. Wait…… no. On closer inspection Ino saw that it was a dark red, clearly different from the black earth on the floor. She touched the wall and it crumbled in flakes. Rubbing her fingers together it had left a powdery residue. Ino jerked her hands suddenly away from the wall. Was this dried substance old blood? Then this was dead too- blood the very symbol of life.

"You're awake," a small voice said.

Ino turned to the owner of the voice. It came from the corner of the room. A small boy stepped out of the dark holding a tray. He couldn't have been more than 7 years old. Now that her eyes were adjusting to the light she saw that he stood before a firmly shut door. The boy must have come in just before Ino woke up. He was a thin sickly looking child with large brown eyes and dirty blonde hair. Dressed in white shirt and trousers, tied at the waist with a brown cord- the clothes that might have fit him once, but were now hanging loosely off his slight frame.

"Who are you?" Ino asked, not unkindly.

"Takeo," he replied obediently.

"Are you a servant here Takeo?"

The boy shook his head.

"There are no servants here. I came to see if you were awake. And to give you medicine."

Medicine? Ino checked herself with alarm. She was perfectly healthy. Apart from the scratch on her arm- and that was almost healed. Ino looked once more at the tray the boy was holding. On it were two objects tightly bound in several layers of fabric. Ino could tell by the shape of the first object that it was a dagger.

Ino knocked the tray out of the boys hand, kicked the objects to the other side of the room and adopted a fighting stance.

The boy quivered on the spot, frightened. The door behind him opened and Hisao entered the room stepping between Ino and Takeo.

Ino narrowed her eyes and hit out at Hisao, swinging her leg round into a kick as he dodged her fist.

"Please don't! Don't fight!" Takeo cried out.

Hisao hesitated, long enough for Ino's kick to collide with his shoulder, propelling him against the wall, where the dark red powder cascaded around his body.

Takeo scampered to aid the fallen man.

"Father!"

Ino did not continue her attack, but cautiously stood her ground. Her eyes darted to the door.

"Leave now and you will die," said Hisao, standing with the aid of his son.

"More pointless fighting banter?" replied Ino.

"It is just a fact. You are infected just as my son and I are affected. Without my help you will die."

Ino looked down at the scratch on her arm. The brown-red flakes, which she had mistaken for dry blood.

"That is rust. As we speak it is coursing through your body, feeding on the oxygen and iron of your bloodstream. A rare mutation. Highly contagious."

Ino turned her eyes to the wall. Not blood then that covered it. Rust.

It seemed that leaving this place wasn't going to be as easy as she had first imagined.

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I can't actually remember if any of them got seperated to that extent in the series. So if it is incorrect I'm going to have to present you with my poetic license. Yaaaaaaaaaaay. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Sacrifical Anode

He he.... I'm feeling quite studious with the amount of writing I've been doing. Lets see how long _that_ lasts huh? Anyway, since I never paid much attention in Chemistry I've been depending on Wikipedia and knowledgable relatives for information regarding rust. Never thought it was interesting until know. But maybe that's just because it's a killer virus all of a sudden. Oh! By the way, thankyou to everyone who has been leaving reviews! It's going to my head, and is giving me a kinda floaty feeling. My love goes out to you!

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"Hisao wants these scrolls. He obviously would do anything to get them. His attacks had no structure or planning behind them, he simply attacked. By taking Ino, he probably plans to use her as a bargaining chip. The scrolls in exchange for her. From what we have seen of him so far it is unlikely he will have really thought out his plan." Shika said slowly.

Catching onto the idea Chouji added, "So his disorganisation will be on our side."

Shika shook his head, "Not necessarily. He might panic if he sees things not going his way and kill Ino."

Chouji muttered a harsh word under his breath.

"Also," Shika continued, "He is under the false impression that Shinobi's are _allowed_ ransoms."

Chouji's eyes widened, and his hands balled into fists.

Seeing his friend's expression, Shika reassured him, "Just an observation. We will have to retrieve Ino either by stealth or by force. I don't like the idea of succumbing to blackmail anyway."

Chouji nodded.

"We should track them down and find Ino before Hisao tries anything. My biggest concern is that our techniques have little effect on him. I'd like to know why."

……………………………………………….

Ino shuddered as she imagined the rust coursing through her body. No wonder Hisao was so ill. What would something like this do to a person's body? How much of herself would the rust claim? Would its hunger be satisfied by her blood, or would it spread and consume her entirely, leaving nothing but a pile of dry red dust as a reminder of the girl it had destroyed?

"You don't look like you can save yourself, let alone me. What can _you_ do?" Ino asked.

Hisao nodded to Takeo, who collected the objects Ino had flung across the room.

"It's true I cannot get rid of it, but that's why I need the scrolls. I can keep the rust at bay, and for now that's all that stands between you and an extremely painful death."

Well that didn't sound pleasant.

Takeo came closer and knelt down on the floor, setting the tray on his lap. Ino knelt down in front of him, holding out the scratch.

Unwrapping the steel dagger, Takeo held it over Ino's outstretched arm. Every instinct in her was telling her to get away from the weapon, but she stayed strong and did not move. The blade hovered over her skin, and she grit her teeth. However, the boy did not pierce her skin. Instead he let the dagger linger just above the wound. Her wound began to itch and then sting slightly, until it split right open.

Ino watched in horror as a stream of rust burst from the open gash, floating in a thin dusty line towards the steel. She could feel it moving through her now, greedily surging towards the offering of metal. And it was agonizing. Like sand paper in her veins, thousands and thousands of infinitesimal metallic shards exiting her body. Tiny bruises appeared along her arm where blood vessels had burst. Ino bit her lip to stop herself from crying out. When the dagger was completely covered in rust, Takeo wrapped it once more in fabric and placed it back on the tray.

"How often does this need to be done?" asked Ino when she was sure her voice would not reveal her pain.

Hisao who had been watching silently until this point replied, "Twice a day, sometimes more. My son and I always carry with us a piece of metal just in case-anything with iron in it will work. Zinc is much better but it is harder to find."

Takeo unwrapped the second object. It was a ceramic bowl, inside was a silvery powder. As soon as it was exposed, her skin began to sting again.

"Whenever I find an old piece of galvanised tin, I scrape the coating off. Zinc is the ideal sacrificial anode," the boy said shyly, taking Ino's hand in his, leading it towards the bowl.

The process repeated again, but worse if that was possible. The rust snaked even faster through her, eager to reach the silver powder. Takeo let go of Ino, and placed his palms against the side of the bowl, his hands glowing softly illuminating his pale face strangely in the dim light. Ino recognised this instantly as a medical-nin healing technique. However, Takeo was using it on the zinc powder. The rust clung to the zinc, as the chakra mixed it together- fortifying the metal enough to slow down the corrosion process, while still allowing the rust access. How strange that zinc which should be the easiest thing for the rust to devour, was now- thanks to the chakra infusion- quite hard. Almost as though the rust had been tricked….. but that would mean it had a consciousness. Ino did not want to think about it.

"So. You will retrieve the scrolls for me," said Hisao.

Ino blinked. "I will not," she replied firmly.

Hisao raised his eyebrows. "Without them you will die. The pain you felt then is only the beginning. The rust will invade your nervous system, causing sporadic twitches in your muscles- barely controllable and intensely agonising. It will give you incredible speed and agility, but you will only ever be a puppet. You will eventually fall apart. The rust wants to live you see, and will avoid its fuel being compromised."

By fuel, Ino knew he meant her body. That was a sickening thought.

"If the rust wants to live so badly, then why hasn't it stopped you from stealing the scrolls?" Ino asked curiously.

"It has no intelligence. It does not think or if it does, then no more than how a virus might think. It knows when it is under attack, and it knows when fuel is close."

Takeo wrapped the ceramic bowl and picked up the tray, leaving the room.

"Your son. He was trained as a ninja?" asked Ino, moving the topic away from her impending doom, of which Hisao seemed so fond of explaining.

A glimmer of pride shone in his eyes. "No. My boy taught himself."

"Oh."

Hisao narrowed his eyes as Ino rose to her feet.

"Maybe you would face your own death, but what of my son? Would you knowingly let him die?"

Ino lowered her eyes. No, she did not want Takeo to die. But she certainly would not let her honour as a ninja be sullied by turning traitor either. And although she felt sorry for this man, she knew he would kill others- her friends- for his own needs. Unforgivable. She would find a way to help Takeo, but never under the terms of this man.

She said nothing.

"I see. Then stay here in pain until you change your mind. You will have no help from me or my son until you agree to obtain the scrolls."

Angrily, Hisao left the room- the door slamming behind him. Still weak after the removal of the rust, Ino watched him leave as she leaned her head wearily against the wall. Her arm trembled at her side.

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I was just thinking to myself: Does anyone find my layout confusing? Should I put my author comments in bold or something to make it obviously distinguishable from the story? If nobody minds, I'll just leave it like it is, but don't stay silent if it bugs you!


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